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Title: Characteristic energy range of electron scattering due to plasmaspheric hiss: Electron Scattering by Hiss Waves
NSF-PAR ID:
10031816
Author(s) / Creator(s):
 ;  ;  ;  ;  ;  ;  ;  ;  ;  ;  ;  ;  ;  
Publisher / Repository:
Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
Volume:
121
Issue:
12
ISSN:
2169-9380
Page Range / eLocation ID:
11,737 to 11,749
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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  1. Abstract

    Both magnetosonic (MS) waves and plasmaspheric hiss can resonantly scatter outer radiation belt electrons, leading to various electron pitch angle distribution. Based on electron diffusion coefficients calculations and 2‐D Fokker‐Planck diffusion simulations, we perform a parametric study to quantitatively investigate the net electron scattering effect and the relative contributions of simultaneously occurring hiss and MS waves with groups of different wave amplitude combinations. It is found that the combined scattering effects are dominated by pitch angle scattering due to hiss emissions atL = 4, when their amplitude is comparable to or stronger than that of MS waves, thereby producing the butterfly, top‐hat, flat‐top, and pancake pitch angle distributions, while the butterfly distributions can evolve over a broader energy range when MS waves join the combined scattering effects. Our results demonstrate that the relative intensities of various plasma waves play an essential role in controlling the radiation belt electron dynamics.

     
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    We present a global survey of energetic electron precipitation from the equatorial magnetosphere due to hiss waves in the plasmasphere and plumes. Using Van Allen Probes measurements, we calculate the pitch angle diffusion coefficients at the bounce loss cone, and evaluate the energy spectrum of precipitating electron flux. Our ∼6.5‐year survey shows that, during disturbed times, hiss inside the plasmasphere primarily causes the electron precipitation atL > 4 over 8 h < MLT < 18 h, and hiss waves in plumes cause the precipitation atL > 5 over 8 h < MLT < 14 h andL > 4 over 14 h < MLT < 20 h. The precipitating energy flux increases with increasing geomagnetic activity, and is typically higher in the plasmaspheric plume than the plasmasphere. The characteristic energy of precipitation increases from ∼20 keV atL = 6–∼100 keV atL = 3, potentially causing the loss of electrons at several hundred keV.

     
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